Radical Inclusivity

COVID-19 aka the Corona Virus: heard of it? Chances are if you are reading this on a media device you have. There are so many questions swirling… How have you been feeling lately? How can we keep ourselves, loved ones and vulnerable populations safe? How long will the outbreak last? How can we best prepare our households? How concerned should we be?

One answer that applies to many of the above questions is to self-isolate if you are prone to respiratory illness, over 60 years old or show any signs of infection. If you are one of the privileged individuals who are able to financially make this choice not to go to work, this seems to be a great option: so long as you have support to help with grocery delivery and a willingness to put the external world on hold for half of a month. If you cannot afford this option, this puts the population at a greater risk: spreading or catching potentially deadly germs everywhere you go.

The thing about isolation though is that it’s….. isolating.

Being stuck inside and away from friends, family, co workers and friendly faces is lonely business. And being out in the world? When many others are sick and fearful? Intense. I know that the tendency for those who are a part of supportive, loving, inspiring communities is to get together. However, Health officials say that’s not a great idea right now.

So how do we take care of ourselves while also remaining connected and hopeful?

My answer? Online! What a time to have “social media” at our finger tips. We intend to offer the ability to talk instantly with other queers, witches, astrologers and guides without the trauma of the Facebook news cycle. We are building a Sacred Space online that will hold us as we share our array of experiences and lift each other up when things feel overwhelming. We will craft opportunities for introspection to ground ourselves and remind us of the things that we CAN control. Like Our Self.

We know that time off from work, buying supplies or just living in poverty can be expensive. We have done our best to make tuition affordable while also allowing the Work of facilitator to be sustainable for us. Interested? Check out our FAQ and Tuition pages for more information!

We have five courses planned for our 2020 cycle, which begins on March 24th. My co facilitator, Tere Parsley Starnes, and I hope that each one will serve as supportive, soul-healing that can be done inside, with slippers on. First up?

Magic of Earth and Sky

“If we surrendered to the Earth’s intelligence, we could rise up rooted like trees.”

Rainer Maria Rilke

Starsdance magic honors the wisdom of the Earth as we look to the stars for inspiration and guidance. This class offers a framework for using astrology in magical practices. We will cover philosophical and ethical approaches to queer magic, which honors our birthright of joyful authenticity grounded in sacred relationship. Love fuels our magic and extends to encompass both Sky and Earth. Inspired by the stars, we will create altars, set intention, practice divination skills, ritualize the transits of the moment, and deepen devotional relationship with the Sky, Earth, and Mystery.

This class begins at the Aries new Moon. Together, we leap into astrology-based magic to nurture fresh beginnings. All our classes include at least one webinar that students will be able to attend live or view later, instructional materials, portions of the Starsdance Mystery School workbook, and online discussion.

Radical inclusivity is important to us!

We are working to dismantle oppressive capitalist practices by offering sliding scale payment options. We also ask that those who are interested in our offerings, but perhaps unable to afford our prices right now: will you send us a message? We would like to make this school available to those who are committed to The Work and would like to join our community.

It’s been a long time since I opened myself up to the idea of vending at craft markets again. Tendonitis crushed my spirits a few years ago, as well as my ability to produce enough goods necessary to cover tables costs. Markets are a wonderful way to meet new people, connect with other craftivists and financially support my art endeavors, but concerns in the community have been raised about accessibility to those who may not be able to afford a spot.

The Queer Craft Market has been a community event for many years and taken on by several organizations. In 2016-2018 the Market was organized by Assemble, a fantastic non profit that supports STEM & maker education. In 2019, Workshop PGH DIY school began organizing the show to help expand the event to include more makers & community organizations. This event is a staple of the Pittsburgh queer community and is inclusive to all.

WHO.We welcome:

ArtistsMakersZine MakersCreativesCommunity OrganizationsDIY schools & organizations that support the queer arts, handmade & CreativesThis event is all about the makers & folks involved, giving them a platform to sell and show their work. You can learn more about the vendors on the Vendor page as we update it.

It’s organized on a volunteer basis by Kelly of Workshop PGH (ally business & inclusive space) and several nice volunteers with support from Assemble, sponsors & the community.

WHEN.The Market happens twice a year in Summer before Pride and Winter at rotating locations. In 2019, Ace Hotel Pittsburgh is gracious enough to host our event and is a Queer friendly event space and Employer. Thanks Ace!

I will be there, vending all sorts of witchy goodies (amount will vary based upon my physical ability to produce them):

Vending is a really fun experience. I love watching bewildered, intrigued eyes scanning my stock and finding themselves delighted by what they find. Each sale is a bright reminder that I am not the only one who wants to adorn themselves with Nature’s Wonders, but it’s really the conversation that I’m there for.

I can remember my days as a maiden witch and how vulnerable it was for me to ask about this tradition that was once violently kept quiet. I would have loved the opportunity to chat with a friendly face about what witchcraft is all about.

Join sisTers PGH, ReclaimingPGH and many more local organizations that support intersectional queerness in the heart of downtown on Sunday, June 10th from 12:00pm – 4:30pm to march for equality that does not exploit Pride for monetary gain and gives wind to the voices that are so often silenced in our country. Vasalisa and Echo (ReclaimingPGH Activism Cell Anchor) will be representing the Pittsburgh chapter of Reclaiming witchcraft by hosting a table at the finish line of the march. We are honored, grateful and committed to being participants in and allies to sisTers PGH’s event. The following has been posted from their event page:

“And now, from the black femmes who brought you Peoples Pride 2k17 – Peoples Pride 2k18!! ​Pride​ has always been ​an​ ​act​ ​of​ ​resistance​ on behalf of LGBTQIA+ persons, ​and​ last year ​we​ ​marched​ ​to​ ​bring attention​ ​to​ this history.

This year, we are thrilled to bring you even more liberation with People’s Pride 2k17, where the focus shall remain on the People. This​ ​March​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​historic​ ​third,​ ​honoring​ ​the​ ​independently​ ​organized​ Roots Pride Pittsburgh ​from​ ​2015 and 2016, which​ ​was organized​ ​by​ ​the​ ​black​ ​trans​-​led​ Garden of Peace Project.​ ​The ​march​ ​is​ ​the​ ​continuation​ ​of​ ​this​ ​legacy to honor our black and brown roots, and follow in the footsteps of incredible women such as Marsha P. Johnson, Mary Jones, Lucy Hicks Anderson, and Miss Major, and all those who paved the way for our efforts today.

We also must ​hold​ those ​accountable​ ​for​ ​the ​historical​ ​exploitation​ ​and​ ​negligence​ ​towards​ the black​ ​and​ ​brown​ ​and​ ​trans​ ​people of Pittsburgh. The Delta Foundations Pittsburgh Pride Knowingly signing a 3-year contract with EQT Natural Gas Company amounts to selling our Pittsburgh Pride, with no regard to the lives which corporations affect!!

Therefore, we​ ​march​ ​as​ ​an​ ​act​ ​of​ ​resistance, with focus on the most marginalized LGBTQIA community of Pittsburgh, its black and brown trans people.